Metal Men #8Review

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The end of incomprehensible fun.

By Dan Phillips

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I'm pretty thrilled that Metal Men is over, really, because I've run out of ways to say, "I have no idea what is going on, but it's still kind of fun." Since Duncan Rouleau's miniseries crumbled under the weight of its own zany, nothing-is-too-bizarre storyline somewhere around the halfway point, it's been something of a chore to articulately describe what works about this series and what doesn't. The final issue is no different, as Rouleau's madcap energy only barely pokes its head above this utter mess of a narrative long enough to make parts of the issue enjoyable, but not comprehensible.

Where do I begin? I suppose the biggest flaw in this cluttered narrative is the fact that it's virtually impossible to decipher where and – more significantly – when each scene takes place. Rouleau established (from what I can tell) a handful of alternate timelines that weave throughout this series, but he never goes about explaining transitions between the differing time threads/realities. Ancient villains and future foes pop up indiscriminately throughout the plot with little or no explanation of where they came from. In this regard, most of the Metal Men miniseries made my brain hurt.

Which is a shame really, because there's a lot of charm to Rouleau's take on this wacky property. As much as I decry the utter incomprehensibleness of the story, I have to point out that the reckless abandon with which Rouleau originally jumped into the world of the Metal Men was the main reason I enjoyed the early issues. Watching Rouleau throw ideas at the wall and see what sticks made for a lot of fun. The problem is that Rouleau seems to believe every idea sticks, and there was a whole lot of crap on the wall by the time this issue reached its conclusion. In the end, even Rouleau's vibrant, energetic art and a few wonderfully weird ideas like the Balloonatic and a delivery company named "General Overnight Delivery" (G.O.D., for those of you paying attention) aren't enough to make the series worth the time, commitment, money and headache.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't point out that this series commits one of my personal pet peeves and an egregious act too common in today's comic industry – the miniseries concluded it's "self-contained" story with, you guessed it, a cliffhanger.